Fake AI images of former US President Donald Trump have been widely shared on Twitter, depicting him appearing to resist arrest and being apprehended by law enforcement officials. The images were generated using an AI text-to-image creation tool called Midjourney and have amassed over four million views.
The circulation of these manipulated images comes ahead of the anticipated indictment of Mr. Trump by a Manhattan grand jury, which is expected to occur later this week. The potential charges relate to the alleged falsification of business records associated with payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.
— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) March 20, 2023
If indicted, Mr. Trump would become the first former US President to face a criminal charge.
Government Officials Targeted With Online Threats
— Eliot Higgins (@EliotHiggins) March 20, 2023
Prior to the anticipated indictment, a significant increase in online threats targeting government and political officials has been observed, with some individuals reportedly planning actions described as “January 6 times ten”. This surge in threats has been linked to the circulation of fake images depicting Mr. Trump’s arrest.
Eliot Higgins, the founder of the investigative group Bellingcat, shared a set of deep fake images featuring Mr. Trump being detained. “Making pictures of Trump getting arrested while waiting for Trump’s arrest, he wrote.”
He revealed that the images had been generated using Midjourney, an AI image generation tool. Some of the visuals depict scenarios in which Mr. Trump appears to struggle as he attempts to evade law enforcement officials.
Melania Trump and the former President’s son, Donald Trump Jr., are also depicted in some of the deep fake images protesting the arrest.
Misinformation And Lack Of Critical Thinking
The circulation of these fake images has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation on social media platforms. Despite being clearly manipulated, some Twitter users have shared these images widely, claiming them to be real pictures.
The lack of critical thinking skills among the general population has also been highlighted. Mr. Higgins noted that some of the fake images that were circulated included obvious errors, such as Mr. Trump having three legs. In his words he said, “The Trump arrest image was really just casually showing both how good and bad Midjourney was at rendering real scenes, like the first image has Trump with three legs and a police belt,” Despite this, some people have passed off these images as genuine, demonstrating a lack of critical thinking skills in the educational system.
Although obvious errors like this are occurring with Midjourney, the tool, and technology is evolving at a rapid pace and with the rise of more and more realistic AI image-generation tools, it’s going to become increasingly difficult to see what is real or not on social media.
The Police Reacts
On Tuesday, the New York Police Department issued a statement confirming that there has been no arrest of Donald Trump. The agency explicitly stated that “Donald Trump has not been taken into custody by law enforcement officials, and any images or reports to the contrary are false and should not be shared.”
The NYPD also cautioned the public to exercise caution when consuming news and information on social media, urging individuals to verify the authenticity of information before sharing it with others.
Deepfake technology has been a growing concern in recent years, with malicious actors potentially using it for propaganda, disinformation, and other nefarious purposes. While the technology has some positive applications, such as in the film industry or for medical research, its misuse can have significant consequences.
